You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them ontime (no later than Sunday, April 8 on or before 12:01am). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0. You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
This play tells the story of Henry Reyna, set in Los Angeles in the 1940's. He is also the leader of the 38th Street Gang, which was composed of Hispanic Americans, and its rival gang, the Downey Gang. A murder occurs at Sleepy Lagoon in LA during WWII, and Henry and many other members are accused of being in the murder. Became of the discrimination against those people, they are sentenced to life, but later are acquitted.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion of the play is when they are found guilty. After this happens, the dramatic action really starts where Henry and his men really realize the consequences of being Mexican and having the whole gang being found guilty among obvious discrimination.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is the time and place that Henry is accused of murder for the Sleepy Lagoon event. After this happened, everything that happens in the play is because of being found an convicted of the murder.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
Did Henry end up listening to Pachuco and his words to feel better about his life and events?
In the end, how did being in imprisonment change Henry into realizing how his race affected the bad things that happened in his life?
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Henry wants to be with Della at first. When the Sleepy Lagoon murder happens and he is sent into jail, his wants change. Now his wants are to be freed and make sure people realize he and the gang have been wrongly convicted, mostly from the hysteria involving Mexican Americans and the vast widespread racism from European Americans who were on the jury and the judge. Him against society is the biggest obstacle because of his race, he has to prove it wasn't him involved with the murder. It is an an obvious case of racism, where he had much more stacked up against him to prove his innocence.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
The most theatrical moment to me is when we figure out the ending, where multiple endings are suggested. It is implied that he returned to prison for drug abuse, died in the Korean War and was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, or he ended up marrying Della and having five children. The fact that there could have been different endings shows the ambiguity with how life ends up for people, especially in marginalized communities like Henry's. Another theatrical moment was when Henry's brother Rudy was stripped down and beaten out of his zoot suit during the riots.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One image is is the zoot suit. This the title of the play and it helps us understand the crisis going on at the time. Most of it was obviously racially motivated, even though for Mexican Americans it was just a way of dress, but turned into a way to beat up and charge those minorities of crimes. Another example of an image was Pachuco. He represented a symbolic and allegorical character of Henry's internalized ideals and the sub-culture of Chicano people. The last example of images is the culture of Mexicans and Chicano people, with their vibrant Spanish and music, along with the expressions and actions related to their way of life in the USA.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
Themes from this play include discrimination, gang violence, family, brotherhood, community, judicial system, and corruption.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
The biggest family relationship is the 38th Street Gang; they wear the Zoot Suit to represent unity. However, Henry’s parents are not happy. His parents care for him, but Henry feels distance between them because of how much he loves the Zoot Suit and they do not. The relationship between Henry and Pachuco is conflicting. While Henry tries to be positive about his life, he soon starts to give up because Pachuco constantly reminds him of the discrimination and corrupt system. Henry’s relationship with Della and Alice becomes complicated while he is in jail. He wanted to marry Della before he went to prison but she never visited him. He started falling in love with Alice while in prison and when he got out, its implied he ends up with Della. The relationship between the 38th Street Gang and the Downy gang was violent because they were rivals, and it included a lot of violence.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
This play tells the story of Henry Reyna, set in Los Angeles in the 1940's. He is also the leader of the 38th Street Gang, which was composed of Hispanic Americans, and its rival gang, the Downey Gang. A murder occurs at Sleepy Lagoon in LA during WWII, and Henry and many other members are accused of being in the murder. Became of the discrimination against those people, they are sentenced to life, but later are acquitted.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion of the play is when they are found guilty. After this happens, the dramatic action really starts where Henry and his men really realize the consequences of being Mexican and having the whole gang being found guilty among obvious discrimination.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is the time and place that Henry is accused of murder for the Sleepy Lagoon event. After this happened, everything that happens in the play is because of being found an convicted of the murder.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
Did Henry end up listening to Pachuco and his words to feel better about his life and events?
In the end, how did being in imprisonment change Henry into realizing how his race affected the bad things that happened in his life?
5. Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
Henry wants to be with Della at first. When the Sleepy Lagoon murder happens and he is sent into jail, his wants change. Now his wants are to be freed and make sure people realize he and the gang have been wrongly convicted, mostly from the hysteria involving Mexican Americans and the vast widespread racism from European Americans who were on the jury and the judge. Him against society is the biggest obstacle because of his race, he has to prove it wasn't him involved with the murder. It is an an obvious case of racism, where he had much more stacked up against him to prove his innocence.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
The most theatrical moment to me is when we figure out the ending, where multiple endings are suggested. It is implied that he returned to prison for drug abuse, died in the Korean War and was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, or he ended up marrying Della and having five children. The fact that there could have been different endings shows the ambiguity with how life ends up for people, especially in marginalized communities like Henry's. Another theatrical moment was when Henry's brother Rudy was stripped down and beaten out of his zoot suit during the riots.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One image is is the zoot suit. This the title of the play and it helps us understand the crisis going on at the time. Most of it was obviously racially motivated, even though for Mexican Americans it was just a way of dress, but turned into a way to beat up and charge those minorities of crimes. Another example of an image was Pachuco. He represented a symbolic and allegorical character of Henry's internalized ideals and the sub-culture of Chicano people. The last example of images is the culture of Mexicans and Chicano people, with their vibrant Spanish and music, along with the expressions and actions related to their way of life in the USA.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
Themes from this play include discrimination, gang violence, family, brotherhood, community, judicial system, and corruption.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
The biggest family relationship is the 38th Street Gang; they wear the Zoot Suit to represent unity. However, Henry’s parents are not happy. His parents care for him, but Henry feels distance between them because of how much he loves the Zoot Suit and they do not. The relationship between Henry and Pachuco is conflicting. While Henry tries to be positive about his life, he soon starts to give up because Pachuco constantly reminds him of the discrimination and corrupt system. Henry’s relationship with Della and Alice becomes complicated while he is in jail. He wanted to marry Della before he went to prison but she never visited him. He started falling in love with Alice while in prison and when he got out, its implied he ends up with Della. The relationship between the 38th Street Gang and the Downy gang was violent because they were rivals, and it included a lot of violence.